NEC 2005 Online (yep, the whole thing)

Wonder how long it will take until NFPA sues them.

i dont know.

but i wonder if anyone knows how to mirror a site for offline viewing if it uses java applets? wget is not working for me.

but then thats to be expected, im just a dumb IBEW wireman out of Iowa.

The Realview software they use for this is definitely a fine program, but expensive. I have already purchased the 2005 NEC in the online PDF format, softbound book format, and the 2005 NEC Handbook format. The online reader is nice, but obviously illegal. It will not last very long.

Hmm. They appear to be using a PDF viewer implemented as a Java applet. At least that's what pops up in my browser.

If they are trying to sell something, I don't see their pitch.

Having your own PDF or the NEC CD beats having to hunt for a broadband connection if you need to refer to their site when you are at a job site.

I don't see anything this site is doing that the NEC approved media already provides.

NFPA is not getting paid and they are as bad as Disney about protecting their copyright. I do support those who say if this is adoppted as public law it should be available to the public. I suppose the answer is, it is in the public library but most statutes are online these days. Florida has their entire building code online, except the NEC.

My point was that this site doesn't appear to offer any capabilities that the NEC's media doesn't provide. And it has some some disadvantages. The only thing its got going for it is that its free and this isn't a legitimate reason for its continued existence.

OTOH, there are versions of the NEC that others have created which add quite a bit of functionality beyond that which the PDF or proprietary version offers. In order not to attract the wrath of the NFPA, these are generally not made available on line. Its unfortunate that they don't have more flexible licensing terms. They could easily get a cut of the profits from these advanced products.

| I don't see anything this site is doing that the NEC approved media | already provides.

Aside from possibly ripping off the NFPA.

If you are in the IBEW then you are indeed dumb!

but then thats to be expected, im just a dumb IBEW wireman out of Iowa.

But at least im not a top posting moron

Correct. So there's no justification for it.

Actually, this online version of the 2005 NEC is quite useless. You can't print and you can't copy and paste. And there is no search utility. I broke the PDF protection password for the NFPA PDF version of the 2005 NEC (for $30) that came on the CD version and now can search, copy, print, and mark it up with all the Acrobat 6.0 Pro tools. Of course Acrobat 6.0 Pro cost me a bundle.